"The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart". Maya Angelou

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Lack of Diversity in the Fashion Industry: Chanel Iman

Young girls around the world spend numerous hours of their lives trying to be “cool” and up to beat in such a material based society. These same girls are surrounded by the latest media that post images of skinny young trend setters who tend to cash in billions of dollars for flashing a smile as they walk down a runway. Models are the walking poster boards for the latest trends and fads in the fashion world. With so many young girls yearning to learn how to pose or wear the latest Gucci bag to school, you would think society would base the faces of models around a diverse spectrum in which young girls of every race would be able to relate to. The fact is, for years the fashion industry has been lacking in diversity with a less than 30 percent make up of minority models and even less designers in the industry. With such odds against minorities it would seem seemingly impossible to get started in such a white oriented and fast paced industry. A young African American girl from L.A. by the name of Chanel Iman, has made recent steps towards change in diversity. Following in the footsteps of legends such as Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell she has embarked on her new career as a woman of color in the fashion world.Chanel Iman was born in Atlanta, Georgia to China Robinson of African American and Korean heritage and an African American father. Iman walked the runway for the first time in the spring of 2006, where she modeled for household names such as Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenberg. When commented on Iman, Ford Models rep proclaims, “Chanel’s rich ethnic heritage makes her appeal universal and moreover has established her as the “go to” girl when designers aim to broaden their markets." With brand new faces of all different colors beginning to embark upon the fashion world, a dream of pursuing a career in fashion within any aspect now seems quite attainable.

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About Me

Im an aspiring writer/relationist. I hope to pursue a career in Public Relations as I represent my own at a fashion magazine or company devoted to design management and promotion. My heart lies in writing, yet my recent passions have moved my ideas further towards promotion, brainstorming and marketing. I will hopefully coalesce all these aspects and eventually build a brand name for myself.